Active airpath bypass system

ABSTRACT

Methods and systems are provided for regulating airflow through a charge air cooler integrated in an intake assembly. In one example, an engine intake assembly comprises a plenum having an integrated charge air cooler (CAC), a first header seal positioned around a circumference of a first CAC header, and a first rotatably movable seal positioned in a bypass passage of the plenum. The first movable seal interfaces via sliding contact with the first header seal and adjusting a position of the first movable seal may vary the amount of airflow through the bypass passage.

FIELD

The present application relates to an intake system with an integratedcharge air cooler.

BACKGROUND/SUMMARY

Many engines utilize compressors in the intake system to provide boostto the engine to increase the pressure in the combustion chamber,thereby increasing the power output of the engine. Some engines alsoutilize an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) loop to reduce emission fromthe engine and/or improve fuel economy. The EGR loop can be either “highpressure” (HP) where the EGR is taken before the turbine and injectedafter the compressor, or “low pressure” (LP) where the EGR is takenafter the turbine and injected before the compressor. For bothscenarios, the compressor and the EGR loop increase the temperature ofthe intake air provided to the cylinders, thereby reducing the densityof the air provided to the cylinder. As a result, the combustionefficiency is decreased. To decrease the temperature of the intake aircharge air coolers may be positioned in the intake system. In someengines, the charge air cooler may be positioned in a conduit downstreamof the compressor and upstream of a throttle as part of the front endcooling module as the charge air cooler is typically air cooled. Inother applications, the charge air cooler may be water cooled andmounted in the engine compartment. Recently, advances have been made toincorporate the charge air cooler into the intake system. For example,US 2013/0220289 discloses an intake system including a plenum andthrottle body with a charge air cooler integrated within the plenum. Theintegration of the charger air cooler into the intake system enables theoverall compactness of the intake system to be increased while providingcharge air cooling to intake air. Further, US 2012/0285423 discloses anintegrated charge air cooler intake system which includes static sealsto ensure the effectiveness of the charge air cooler.

Additionally, condensate may form within the integrated charge aircooler (CAC) when the ambient air temperature decreases, or during humidor rainy weather conditions, where the intake air is cooled below thewater dew point temperature. Further, when the charge air entering theCAC is boosted (e.g., an induction pressure and boost pressure aregreater than atmospheric pressure), condensate may form if the CACtemperature falls below the dew point temperature. As a result,condensate may collect at the bottom of the CAC, or in the internalpassages of the CAC. When torque is increased, such as duringacceleration, increased mass air flow may strip the condensate from theCAC, drawing it into the engine and increasing the likelihood of enginemisfire and combustion instability.

Other attempts to address engine misfire due to condensate ingestioninvolve avoiding condensate build-up by incorporating a bypass forcharge air to flow around the CAC. However, the inventors herein haverecognized potential issues with such methods. Specifically, it may notbe possible to incorporate such bypass passages into the integrated CACsystem described above. For example, adding a bypass passage may requireextra tubing and valves outside of the integrated CAC and intake plenum,thereby defeating the purpose of an integrated CAC that reduces enginepackaging space.

In one example, the issues described above may be addressed by an engineintake assembly comprising a plenum having an integrated charge aircooler (CAC), a first header seal positioned around a circumference of afirst CAC header, and a first rotatably movable seal positioned in abypass passage defined between sides of a CAC body and the plenum andinterfacing via sliding contact with the first header seal, the firstmovable seal varying airflow through the bypass passage. As one example,the plenum may be coupled between a compressor and an engine.Additionally, the first movable seal may be adjustable between a firstposition where charge air flowing through the plenum flows through thebypass passage and at least partially bypasses the CAC and a secondposition where charge air flowing through the plenum flows through theCAC and not the bypass passage. In both the first position and secondposition, the first movable seal may remain in sealing contact with thefirst header seal and a second header seal positioned around acircumference of a second CAC header, the second CAC header at anopposite end of the CAC from the first CAC header. Further still, anengine controller may actively adjust the first movable seal into thefirst position or the second position responsive to charge airtemperature. In this way, CAC condensate in an integrated CAC and intakeplenum may be reduced while maintaining a compact engine arrangement andadequate sealing of the CAC within the plenum. Maintaining sealingbetween the CAC and plenum may also reduce air leaks and increase CACefficiency.

It should be understood that the summary above is provided to introducein simplified form a selection of concepts that are further described inthe detailed description. It is not meant to identify key or essentialfeatures of the claimed subject matter, the scope of which is defineduniquely by the claims that follow the detailed description.Furthermore, the claimed subject matter is not limited toimplementations that solve any disadvantages noted above or in any partof this disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic depiction of an example vehicle includingan engine, intake system, and exhaust system.

FIGS. 2-8 illustrate embodiments of an integrated charge air cooler andintake plenum of an engine intake assembly.

FIG. 9 shows a flow chart of a method for adjusting air flow through acharge air cooler integrated in an intake assembly.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following description relates to systems and method for adjustingthe flow of intake air through a charge air cooler integrated into aplenum of an intake assembly. In a turbocharged engine as shown in FIG.1, a compressor may be used to compress intake air and provide theengine with more power. However, compressing the intake air may raisethe temperature of the intake air. Increased intake air temperature mayresult in engine knock and cause damage to the engine. A charge aircooler may be used to cool air before entering engine cylinders. In somecases the charge air cooler may be integrated into a plenum of theintake assembly which may have the benefits of reducing packaging sizeand increasing fuel economy. However, it may not always be desirable toflow intake air through the charge air cooler. In some cases, if thetemperature of the intake air is low enough, condensate may form in thecharge air cooler when the air is forced through it. The condensate maythen be introduced to the engine cylinders which may cause enginemisfire and/or damage to the engine. FIGS. 2-8 show an integrated chargeair cooler with rotatable seals that can be adjusted to regulate theflow of intake air through the charge air cooler. In a first position,the seals may allow air to bypass the charge air cooler, and in a secondposition they may force air through the charge air cooler. FIG. 9 showsa method for determining when to move the seals into the first andsecond positions depending on the temperature of the intake air. Thus,the temperature of the intake air may be maintained within a favorableoperating range by regulating the flow of the intake air through theintegrated charge air cooler.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic depiction of a vehicle 100 including an engine102, an intake system 104, an exhaust system 106, and an exhaust gasrecirculation (EGR) system 108. The intake system 104 is configured toprovide intake air to cylinders 110 in the engine 102. The engine isdepicted as having 4 cylinders arranged in an inline configuration.However, it will be appreciated that the number of cylinders and/orconfiguration of the cylinders may be altered in other embodiments. Forexample, the engine 102 may include 6 cylinders arranged in a Vconfiguration. The intake system 104 is configured to flow intake air tothe cylinders and the exhaust system 106 is configured to receiveexhaust gas from the cylinders. Additionally, each of the cylinders 110may include an ignition device 112 configured to ignite an air fuelmixture in the cylinders 110. Additionally or alternatively, compressionignition may be utilized to ignite the air fuel mixture in the cylinders110. The engine 102 also includes at least one intake and exhaust valveper cylinder.

The intake system includes a compressor 114. The compressor 114 may beincluded in a turbocharger having a turbine 116 in the exhaust system106. The compressor 114 and the turbine 116 are rotatably coupled.However, in other examples the compressor 114 may be rotatably coupledto a transmission in the vehicle, providing what is referred to assupercharging.

The intake system 104 further includes a plenum 118 having a charge aircooler (CAC) 120 integrated therein. The charge air cooler may be usedto cool intake air which may be heated via operation of the compressor114 and the EGR gas delivered to the intake system 104 upstream of theplenum 118. In this way, the boosted volume provided to the engine 102is reduced. The reduction in boosted volume enables combustionefficiency to be increased in the engine. Furthermore, the reduction inthe boosted volume allows for better control of low pressure (LP)exhaust gas recirculation (EGR), discussed in greater detail herein.Moreover, when the charger air cooler 120 is integrated into the plenum118 the throttle volume is reduced when compared to intake system havinga charger air cooler spaced away from (e.g., separate from) the plenum.As a result, the throttle response is improved. The plenum 118 includesan inlet 119 in fluidic communication with the compressor 114. Theplenum 118 further includes a plenum enclosure 121. The cross-sectionalarea in the plenum enclosure 121 perpendicular to the general directionof airflow increases in a downstream direction. Thus, the plenumenclosure 121 includes an expansion and the volume of a plenum enclosureexpands in a downstream direction. The specific geometric features ofthe plenum 118 are discussed in greater detail herein with regard toFIGS. 2-5. As depicted in FIG. 1, the charge air cooler 120 may be awater-to-air charge cooler and may use coolant to cool intake air. Thecharge air cooler 120 includes a coolant inlet 122 configured to receivecoolant and a coolant outlet 124 configured to expel coolant. However,in other examples the charge air cooler 120 may be an air-to-air chargecooler and may utilize ambient air to cool the intake air. Thus, coolantinlet 122 and 124 may not be incorporated into the charge air cooler 120when the charge air cooler 120 is configured as an air-to-air chargecooler. Arrow 123 denotes the flow of coolant into the charge air cooler120 and arrow 125 denotes the flow of coolant out of the charge aircooler 120. The coolant in the charge air cooler 120 may be circulatedin a coolant passage 126, generically depicted as a box. The coolantinlet and outlet (122 and 124) are in fluidic communication with a heatexchanger 127 and a pump 128. The pump 128 is positioned downstream ofthe heat exchanger 127 in the depicted embodiment. However, otherarrangements have been contemplated. For example, the heat exchanger 127may be positioned downstream of the pump 128. The heat exchanger 127 isconfigured to remove heat from the coolant. In this way, heat may bedrawn away from the intake system 104 via the charge air cooler 120.Thus, the temperature of the intake air delivered to the cylinders 110is reduced increasing the air pressure, thereby increasing combustionefficiency. The coolant passage 126, heat exchanger 127, pump 128 andthe passages enabling fluidic communication between the aforementionedcomponents may be referred to as a coolant loop 195. In some examples,the coolant inlet 122 and the coolant outlet 124 may be in fluidiccommunication with a cooling loop separate from the main engine coolingsystem configured to circulate coolant through the engine. This coolingloop can also be used to service other heat exchangers such as fuel,oil, air conditioning condenser and/or EGR coolers which may desirelower coolant temperatures than the main engine cooling system. In thedepicted example, the coolant loop 195 is in fluidic communication withan EGR cooler 196 positioned in the low pressure EGR loop 172. The EGRcooler 196 is configured to transfer heat from the EGR gas travellingthrough the low pressure EGR loop 172 to the coolant. Arrows 198 denotethe flow of coolant to into and out of the EGR cooler 196. A parallelflow configuration is depicted, however in other examples the EGR cooler196 may be coupled in series in the coolant loop 195. Additionally oralternatively, the coolant loop 195 may be in fluidic communication withan EGR cooler 197 in the high pressure EGR loop 170. Still further inother example, the coolant loop 195 may not be coupled to the EGR cooler196 and/or the EGR coolers (196 and/or 197) may not be included in thevehicle 100. A pressure sensor 127 may be positioned in a pressuresensor port in the plenum 118.

The intake system 104 further includes a throttle body 130. The throttlebody 130 is adjacent to the charge air cooler 120. However, the throttlebody 130 may be spaced away from the charge air cooler 120, in otherexamples. When the throttle body 130 is positioned downstream of thecharger air cooler 120 the throttle response may be improved. Thethrottle body 130 includes a plurality of throttles (e.g., intakethrottles) 132 positioned in a plurality of intake runners 134.Specifically, each of the intake runners 134 has a single throttlepositioned therein. Furthermore, each intake runner 134 is in fluidiccommunication with one of the cylinders 110. In this way, each cylinderhas an individual throttle. Each throttle includes a throttle plate 136.Thus, the throttle body 130 includes a throttle plate in each intake ofthe engine cylinders, in the depicted embodiment. However, in otherembodiments an alternate throttle body configuration may be utilized.The throttles 132 are configured to adjust the airflow through each ofthe runners 134. It will be appreciated that the throttles 132 may besynchronously controlled. That is to say that the throttles 132 may becontrolled via a single shaft extending through each of the throttleplates. However, in other examples each throttle may be separatelycontrolled. A controller 150 included in the engine 102 may be used tocontrol operation of the throttles 132.

The compressor 114, plenum 118, and throttle body 130 may be included inan intake assembly 140. Each of the aforementioned components may becoupled directly downstream of one another in consecutive order. Forexample, the compressor 114, plenum 118, and throttle body 130 may becoupled directly downstream of one another with no additional componentspositioned between the consecutive components (e.g., the plenum isdirectly coupled to the throttle body without any additional componentspositioned between the plenum and throttle body). However, in otherexamples just the plenum 118 and the throttle body 130 may be includedin the intake assembly 140.

The exhaust system 106 includes a plurality of exhaust runners 142 influidic communication with the cylinders 110 and an exhaust manifold144. The turbine 116 is positioned downstream of the exhaust manifold144 in the exhaust system 106. Additionally, an emission control device146 is positioned downstream of the turbine 116. The turbine 116 isrotatably coupled to the compressor 114. A shaft or other suitablecomponent may be utilized to couple the turbine 116 and the compressor114. However, in other examples the turbine 116 may be omitted from theengine and rotational energy from a transmission in the vehicle 100 maybe used to provide rotational energy to the compressor 114. A pressuresensor 147 may be coupled to the exhaust manifold 144. An oxygen sensor148 may be coupled to a conduit 149 upstream of the emission controldevice 146.

The EGR system 108 may include at least one of a high pressure EGR loop170 and a low pressure EGR loop 172. The charge air cooler 120 allowsfor better control of low pressure EGR loop 170 and improves the coolingof the high pressure EGR loop 172. The high pressure EGR loop 170includes an inlet 176 opening into the exhaust manifold 144 and anoutlet 178 opening into a conduit 180 fluidly coupling the compressor114 to the plenum 118. In some examples, conduit 180 may be the outletof the compressor 114. A valve 182 may be included in the high pressureEGR loop 170. In an open position, the valve 182 is configured to enablegas to flow through the high pressure EGR loop 170. In a closedposition, the valve 182 is configured to substantially inhibit gas fromflowing through the high pressure EGR loop 170. The low pressure EGRloop 172 includes an inlet 184 opening into the conduit 149 and anoutlet 186 opening into a conduit 188 upstream of the compressor 114 inthe intake system 104. A valve 190 may be included in the low pressureEGR loop 172. It will be appreciated that the delay in the low pressureEGR loop 172 may be reduced when the charge air cooler 120 is integratedinto the plenum 118 due to the decreased distance between the outlet ofthe low pressure EGR loop 172 and the throttle body 130. A throttle 192may also be positioned in the conduit 188. In an open position, thevalve 190 is configured to enable gas to flow through the low pressureEGR loop 172. In a closed position, the valve 190 is configured tosubstantially inhibit gas from flowing through the low pressure EGR loop172. In this way, gas may be flowed from the exhaust system 106 to theintake system 104 via the high pressure EGR loop 170 and the lowpressure EGR loop 172. For both the high pressure EGR loop 170 and thelow pressure EGR loop 172, coolers may be included to provide initialEGR cooling before the mixed air and EGR gases traverse the charge aircooler.

Controller 150 is shown in FIG. 1 as a conventional microcomputerincluding: microprocessor unit 152, input/output ports 154, read-onlymemory 156, random access memory 158, keep alive memory 160, and aconventional data bus. Controller 150 is shown receiving various signalsfrom sensors 162 coupled to engine 102, such as a pressure sensor 127,pressure sensor 147, and oxygen sensor 148. The controller 150 may beconfigured to send signals to actuators 164 such as throttles 132, valve182, valve 190, and throttle 192. Additionally, instructions forcarrying out various routines, such as the routine shown in FIG. 9(described further below), may be stored in the memory of the controller150.

Turning now to FIGS. 2-8, schematics of an intake assembly with anintegrated charge air cooler (as shown in FIG. 1) are shown.Specifically, FIGS. 2-8 show three-dimensional schematics of an exampleintake assembly of the intake assembly 140 shown in FIG. 1. FIGS. 2-8show the relative sizes and positions of the components within theintake assembly 140. FIGS. 2-8 are drawn approximately to scale. Assuch, the components of the intake assembly 140 shown in FIGS. 2-8 maybe the same as the components shown in FIG. 1. Thus, the components ofthe intake assembly 140 described above with regard to FIG. 1 may not bedescribed in detail again below. The intake assembly 140 includes thecharge air cooler 120 integrated into the plenum 118. As depicted inFIGS. 2-8 the intake assembly 140 may additionally include the throttlebody 130. Additionally, in some examples, the intake assembly 140 mayfurther include the compressor 114, shown in FIG. 1.

FIGS. 2-8 include an axis system 201 including vertical axis 202,horizontal axis 204, and lateral axis 203. Hereafter, ‘height’ may beused to refer to the span of a component of the intake assembly 140along the vertical axis 240. Further, ‘width’ may be used to refer tothe span of a component along the horizontal axis 204, and ‘length’ maybe used to refer to the span of a component along the lateral axis 203.FIG. 2 is a first schematic 200 showing a first isometric exploded viewof the intake assembly 140. FIG. 3 is a second schematic 300 showing asecond isometric exploded view of the intake assembly 140. FIG. 4 is athird schematic 400 showing a third isometric exploded view of theintake assembly 140. FIG. 5 is a fourth schematic 500 showing a firsttop view of the plenum 118 of the intake assembly 140. FIG. 6 is a fifthschematic 600 showing a first side view in cross-section of the plenum118. FIG. 7 is a sixth schematic 700 showing a second side view incross-section of the plenum 118. FIG. 8 is a schematic 800 of a firstisometric view of the intake assembly 140.

The intake assembly 140 as shown in FIGS. 2-8 includes six sides, eachside including an interior surface (herein also referred to as aninterior wall), proximate to the interior components, and an exterior(or outside) surface (herein also referred to as an exterior wall). Thesix sides include a front end 231 opposite from a back end 233 and afirst lateral side 235 opposite a second lateral side 237. The six sidesfurther include a top side 242 opposite a bottom side 244.

FIG. 2 shows a first schematic 200 depicting the first isometricexploded of the intake assembly 140. The plenum 118 includes the inlet119. As shown in FIG. 1, the inlet 119 of the plenum 118 is in fluidiccommunication with the compressor 114. The inlet 119 is located at thefront end 231 of the intake assembly. In some examples, an outlet of thecompressor 114 may be directly coupled to the inlet 119. However, inother examples a conduit may separate the compressor 114 and the plenum118.

The plenum 118 further includes a plenum housing 250 defining theboundary of the plenum enclosure 121, as shown in FIG. 4. Reinforcingribs 240 may be included in the plenum housing 250. A portion of thereinforcing ribs 240 extend laterally down the length of the plenumhousing 250. Another portion of the reinforcing ribs 240 extendvertically across the plenum housing 250. The reinforcing ribs 240 mayprovide increased rigidity to the plenum housing 250 to accommodate theadditional forces exerted on the plenum housing 250 via the charge aircooler 120.

The plenum 118 may be coupled to the throttle body 130. A suitableattachment technique such as welding, bolting, etc., may be used tocouple the plenum 118 to the throttle body 130. As depicted in FIG. 8,the throttle body 130 may be bolted to the plenum 118. The throttle body130 may include flange 205 which includes holes 206. The holes 206 maybe aligned with corresponding holes 209 in the plenum housing 250. Onceholes 206 and 209 are aligned, bolts may be extended through the holes206 and 209 to fasten the throttle body 130 to the plenum 118. Thethrottle body 130 additionally includes runners 134. As discussedearlier, each of the runners 134 may be in fluidic communication withone of the engine cylinders 110. The throttle body 130 includes adownstream attachment flange 207 configured to attach to downstreamcomponents, such as the engine 102 shown in FIG. 1. The downstreamattachment flange 207 includes attachment openings 208 configured toreceive bolts or other attachment apparatuses.

The charge air cooler 120 may include a body 220, which may be a longrectangular prism extending along the lateral axis 203 of the plenum 118and fitting inside the plenum housing 250. At each end, the charge aircooler 120 may include a header plate 222. Thus, the two header plates222 may define the length of the charge air cooler 120 along the lateralaxis 203, and the body 220 may be entirely included between the headerplates 222. Header plates 222 may be thin, flat, and rectangular and maybe concentrically larger than cross sections taken along the verticalaxis 202 of the body 220 of the charge air cooler 120. The header plates222 may be referred to herein as headers of the CAC 120. As will bediscussed below in more detail with reference to FIG. 5, the headerplates 222 may fit into recesses 504 of the plenum housing 250. Therecesses 504 may be symmetrically positioned on either of the lateralsides 235 and 237 of the plenum housing 250. Thus, in one example theremay be four recesses, two positioned nearer the font end 231 of theintake assembly 140, and two positioned nearer the back end 233 of theintake assembly 140. Further, the recesses 504, may be positioned adistance away from the ends 231 and 233, such that the header plates 222may be separated from interior walls of the ends of the plenum housing250. Ledges, 246 which may define the bottom of the recesses 504, mayextend across the width of the plenum 118, between sides 235 and 237.Thus, the charge air cooler 120 may not fully extend from the front end231 to the back end 233 of the plenum 118. Header seals 223 may fitaround the circumference of the header plates 222, as is shown in moredetail in FIG. 4, discussed further below.

A coolant flange 214 may extend from one of the header plates 222.Specifically, the coolant flange 214 may be physically coupled to theend of the charge air cooler 120 nearest the inlet 119 and front end 231of the intake assembly 140. The coolant flange 214 may comprise thecoolant inlet 122 and coolant outlet 124. As previously discussed, thecoolant inlet 122 and the coolant outlet 124 may be in fluidiccommunication with a coolant passage 126 in the plenum 118. In someexamples, the coolant may travel inside cooling plates 306, as shown inFIG. 3 inside the charge air cooler 120, cooling the charge air flowingthrough the plenum 118. When assembled, the coolant flange 214 may bealigned with a mating plate 226 of the plenum housing 250 such thatcoolant inlet 122 and coolant outlet 124 of the coolant flange 214 alignwith apertures 224 in the mating plate 226. The mating plate 226 may beembedded in the plenum housing 250 such that it may include relativelyflat interior and exterior surfaces which may be raised from theinterior and exterior surfaces respectively, of the plenum housing 250.The apertures 224 coolant inlet 122, and coolant outlet 124 may beappropriately sized to receive conduits 218 so that coolant may betransferred between the conduits 218 and the charge air cooler 120. Theconduits 218 may be in fluidic communication with the EGR cooler 196. Aportion of each of the conduits 218 may extend through the apertures 224in the mating plate 226, and the coolant inlet 122 and coolant outlet124 in the coolant flange 214. Additionally, holes 221 in the coolantflange 214 and holes 225 in the mating plate 226 may be aligned toreceive bolts to secure the charge air cooler 120 to the plenum housing250. Sealing rings 216, may be positioned between coolant flange 214 andthe interior surface of the mating plate 226, such that on one side thesealing rings 216 may be directly coupled to the mating plate 216, andon the other side the sealing rings 216 may be directly coupled toeither the coolant inlet 122 or the coolant outlet 124. Thus, thesealing rings 216 may be all that separates the coolant inlet 122 andcoolant outlet 124 from the interior surface of the mating plate 216.Coolant flange 214 and mating plate 216 may be bolted together toprovide a compressive force between the coolant flange 214, mating plate216, and sealing rings 216. In doing so, a seal may be created to theexternal weather and/or atmosphere. In other words, the sealing rings216 may provide a seal between the interior and exterior of the plenumhousing 250 at the point of contact between the coolant flange 214 andthe mating plate 226.

As shown in greater detail in FIG. 5 and described further below, thecharge air cooler 120 may be positioned centrally between the lateralsides 235 and 237 of the plenum housing 250. As such, relatively equaldistances may separate the interior surfaces of the lateral sides 235and 237 of the plenum 118 from the exterior surfaces of the sides of thebody 220 of the charge air cooler 120. Thus, once fitted inside theplenum 118, bypass passage 604 as shown in FIG. 7 may exist between thelateral sides 235 and 337 of the plenum housing 250 and the exteriorsurfaces of the body 220 of the charge air cooler 120. Dynamic,rotatably adjustable side seals 230 may be physically coupled torotatable actuating rods 229 on the interior of lateral sides 235 and337. Actuators 228, which may be any viable actuator (e.g. hydraulic,electric, pneumatic, etc.), may rotate the actuating rods 229 to adjustthe position of the rotatably adjustable side seals 229 relative to thecharge air cooler 120, as will be discussed in greater detail below withreference to FIGS. 5-7. As, such the position of the side seals 230 maybe actively adjusted by the actuator 228.

The plenum housing 250 of the plenum 118 may comprise a metal such asaluminum, steel, a composite material such as glass reinforced polymer,etc. Additionally, the throttle body 130 may comprise a polymericmaterial, due to the reduction in temperature provided by the charge aircooler 120 in the plenum 118. In this way, the weight of the throttlebody 130 is reduced when compared to throttle bodies that areconstructed out of metal.

Moving on to FIG. 3, a schematic 300 is shown that depicts the secondisometric exploded view of the intake assembly 140. As described above,the charge air cooler 120 may fit inside the plenum 118. The charge aircooler 120 may not extend fully from the front end 231 of the plenum 118to the back end 233 of the plenum. In other words, the header plates 222may not be in physical contact with the interior surfaces of the frontand back ends 231 and 233 respectively of the plenum 118. Thus, theheader plates 222 which define the ends of the charge air cooler 120 maybe separated a distance from the plenum housing 250. Additionally, body220 of the charge air cooler 120 may be positioned between the headerplates 222. The header seals 223 are shown detached from the headerplates 222. The header seals 223 may be sized to fit around thecircumference of the header plates 222. As discussed earlier, the headerseals may be static seals providing a constant seal between portions ofthe plenum 118 located on either side of the header plates 222. Thus,gas flow in the plenum 118 may be restricted to the area of the plenum118 located between the boundaries of the header plates 222 of thecharge air cooler 120. The header seals 223 may include four sides: topside 305 and bottom side 307 relative to the vertical axis 202, and twolateral sides 309. All sides 305, 307, and 309 may be of similar width.The header seals 223 and header plates 222 may additionally includeinterior faces 301 which may face each other, and exterior faces 303which face outward toward the plenum housing 250. Notches 302 may beincluded on the interior corners of the header seals 223 where lateralsides 309 and top side 305 conjoin. The header plates 222 may alsoinclude mating notches 304 positioned on the corners nearest thethrottle body 130. In other examples, the notches 302 and 304 may belocated on different corresponding positions of the header seals 223 andheader plates 222. Taken together, the notches 302 and 304 may form anaperture 402, as shown in FIG. 4, through which the actuating rod 229may extend, as may be seen in more detail in FIG. 5, described furtherbelow.

The throttle body 130 may include runners 134 arranged in a runner pack306. The runner pack 306 may span the length of the body 220 of thecharge air cooler 120. Thus, the top side 305 of the header seals 223may be in direct sealing contact with the interior surface of bottomside 315 of the throttle body 130. Components herein referred to asbeing in sealing contact with one another may be in physical contactwith one another in such a way that no air may pass between thecomponents in sealing contact. Thus no air may pass between the top side305 of the header seals 223 and the interior surface of the bottom side315 of the throttle body 130. Header seals 223 may be in contact withthe interior surface of bottom side 315 at the ends 311 and 313 of therunner pack 306 with no additional components separating the headerseals 223 from the bottom side 315 of the throttle body 130.

Three sides of the header seals 223 may directly contact the plenumhousing 250. Specifically, lateral sides 309 may be in sealing contactwith the interior walls of lateral sides 235 and 237 and bottom side 307may be in sealing contact with the ledges 246 of the plenum housing 250.Therefore, the header seals 223 may not extend all the way to the bottomside 244 of the plenum 118. Instead, the header seals 223 may only spana portion of the height of the plenum housing 250. Specifically, theremay be no additional components separating the lateral sides 309 of theheader seals 223 from the lateral sides 235 and 237 of the plenumhousing 250. Additionally there may be no additional componentsseparating the bottom side 307 of the header seals 223 from the ledges246 of the plenum housing 250. Thus, the header seals 223 may provide afull 360 degree seal contact with the plenum housing 250 and thethrottle body 130. As such, the header seals 223 may provide a physicaland fluid seal between a portion of the plenum 118 which spans thelength of the body 220 of the charge air cooler 120, and portions of theplenum 118 that do not include the body 220 of the charge air cooler120. Thus, the header seals 223 may provide a sealed passage that offersfluid communication between the plenum 118 and the throttle body 130that extends from one of the header seals 223 of the charge air cooler120 to the other. Upon entering the plenum 118 through the inlet 119,intake air and/or gas may be forced through a portion of the plenumenclosure 121 defined by the header seals 223 and into the runner packs134 of the throttle body 130.

Cutting plane 350 defines the cross-section shown in FIG. 4.

Turning to FIG. 4, a schematic 400 is shown depicting the thirdisometric exploded view of the intake assembly 140. A cross-section ofthe intake assembly 140 has been cut along the cutting plane 350 shownin FIG. 3, exposing the hollow plenum enclosure 121 defined by theplenum housing 250. As explained earlier, the charge air cooler 120 maybe positioned within the plenum housing 250, such that the body 220 ofthe charge air cooler may be physically separate from the plenum housing250. As such, exterior surfaces 408 of the body 220 may be separated adistance from (e.g., spaced away from) the interior surfaces of thelateral sides 235 and 237 of the plenum housing 250. The space betweenthe exterior surfaces 408 of the body 220 of the charge air cooler andthe lateral sides 235 and 237 of the plenum 118 may define bypasspassage 604, as shown in FIGS. 6-7.

Several cooling plates 406 may comprise the body 220 of the charge aircooler 120 defined between the two header plates 222. As depicted, thecharge air cooler 120 may be a water-to-air charge cooler and as such,each of the cooling plates 406 may include coolant conduits 606, shownin FIGS. 6-7, in fluidic communication with the coolant inlet 122 andthe coolant outlet 124, shown in FIG. 2. Although the cooling plates 406are planar in the depicted embodiment, in other embodiments they may becorrugated. Passages in the cooling plates 406 may receive coolant fromthe coolant inlet 122 shown in FIG. 2 and flow coolant to the coolantoutlet 124 shown in FIG. 2. The cooling plates 406 may comprise a metalsuch as aluminum with high thermal conductivity, etc.

As introduced in FIG. 3, apertures 402 may be positioned at corners ofthe interface between the interior edges of the header seals 223 and theheader plates 222. The apertures 402 may be sized such that actuatingrods 229 may extend through the apertures 402 while maintaining fullsealing contact therebetween. Thus, the actuating rods may be in directsealing contact with the interior edge of the header seals 223 and theexterior edge of the header plates 222 such that there may be noadditional components separating the actuating rods 229 from the headerseals 223 and header plates 222. Additionally, the actuating rods may berotated about lateral axis 203 while maintaining sealing contact withthe header seals 223 and header plates 222 at the apertures 402. Asdiscussed above, the side seals 230 may be physically coupled to theactuating rods 229. In one example, the actuating rods 229 and sideseals 230 may be vertically positioned in the plenum enclosure 121 moreproximate to the throttle body 130 than the bottom side 244 of theplenum 118. However, in other examples, the actuating rods 229 and sideseals 230 may be positioned nearer the bottom side 244 of the plenum 118than the throttle body 130.

Turning to FIG. 5, a schematic 500 is shown depicting the first top viewof the plenum 118. As described above, the charge air cooler 120 may becentrally positioned within the plenum 118. The ends of the charge aircooler 120 defined by the header plates 222 (not shown) which may becovered by header seals 223, may fit into the recesses 504 of the plenumhousing 250. As described above with reference to FIG. 4, header seals223 may physically contact interior surfaces 404 of the lateral sides235 and 237 of the plenum housing 250, as well as the ledges 246 of theplenum housing 250. Thus, the header seals 223 may not only provide aseal between an interior portion 501 and exterior portions 503 of theplenum enclosure 121 as described above, but they may also restrictrelative movement of the charge air cooler 120 within the plenum housing250. Interior portion 501 (herein also referred to as cavity 501) maythus be a sealed enclosure formed inside the plenum enclosure 121 anddefined by the two header seals 223 of the charge air cooler 120 and thelateral sides 235 and 237 of the plenum housing 250. Interior portion501 may include the body 220 of the charge air cooler 120 which maycomprise the coolant plates 406.

The actuating rods 229 may extend through the header seals 223 viaapertures 402 shown in FIG. 4 and may be physically coupled to actuators228 at an end of the actuating rods 229 nearest the back end 233 of theplenum 118. In one example, the plenum 118 may include two actuatingrods 229 and each actuating rod 229 may be physically coupled to oneside seal 230. Each actuating rod may be symmetrically positioned onopposite sides of the body 220 of the charge air cooler 120. Thus, eachactuating rods 229 may be positioned near (e.g., proximate to) theinterior surfaces 404 of the lateral sides 235 and 237 of the plenum118. Thus, the actuating rods 229 may be positioned nearer the interiorsurface 404 of the lateral sides 235 and 237 of the plenum 118 than thecharge air cooler 120. Additionally, the actuating rods 229 may extendalong the length of the plenum 118, past each of the header seals 223 ofthe charge air cooler 120. Actuating rods 229 may be directly coupled torotatably adjustable side seals 230. Rotatably adjustable side seals 230may extend through a width of the actuating rods 229 along a portion ofthe length of the actuating rods 229. The actuators 228 may rotate theactuating rods about a rotational axis of the actuating rods 229, therotational axis defined in a direction of the lateral axis 203. As such,rotation of the actuating rods 229 may cause concurrent rotation of therotatably adjustable side seals 230. Specifically, the actuators 229,via the actuating rods 229, may rotate the rotatably adjustable sideseals 230 between an open first position 602 and a closed secondposition 702, as shown in FIGS. 6-7 and explained further below. Asdepicted in FIG. 5, the rotatably adjustable side seals 230 are in theclosed second positions 702. The rotatably adjustable side seals 230include exterior edges 508, interior edges 510, and end edges 512. Inboth the first and second positions, the end edges 512 may physicallycontact the interior surface 301 of the header seals 223 and headerplates 22 such that there may be no additional components separating theend edges 512 from the header seals 223 and header plates 222. Thus, theend edges 512 may remain in contact with the interior surface 301 of theheader seals 223 and header plates 222 at all times, even duringadjusting and moving the side seals 230 via the actuating rods 229.Rotatably adjustable side seals 230 may therefore span the length of thebody 220 of the charge air cooler 120 between the header seals 223.Actuating rods may extend beyond the header seals 223 into exteriorportions 503 of the plenum enclosure 121. Thus, rotatably adjustableside seals 230 may by directly coupled to the portion of the actuatingrods 229 included within cavity 501.

Header channel plugs 502 may be fit into the recesses 504 nearer thefront end 231 of the plenum 118 to completely fill the recess 504. Thus,the header channel plugs 502 may ensure cavity 501 is sealed off fromother portions of plenum enclosure 121. The header channel plugs 502 maybe positioned such that they physically contact the interior surface 301of the header seals 223, the exterior edge 508 of the rotatablyadjustable side seals 230, and the interior surfaces of the recesses504. As such there may be no additional components separating the headerplugs 502 from the header seals 223 or the recesses, or the rotatablyadjustable side seals 230. Further, the header plugs 502 may extendvertically into recesses 504 so that they span the height of the headerseals 223. Thus, the header plugs 502 may be flush with the top side 305and bottom side 307 shown in FIG. 3 of the header seals 223.

Cutting plane 530 defines the cross-section shown in FIGS. 6-7.

Turning to FIG. 6, a fifth schematic 600 is shown depicting a side viewcross-section of the plenum 118 taken along the cutting plane 530. Asshown in FIG. 6, the rotatably adjustable side seals 230 are in an openfirst position 602. In the open first position 602, the exterior edges508 of the side seals 230 may not be in sealing contact with theinterior surfaces 404 of the lateral sides 235 and 237 of the plenum118. Additionally, the interior edges 510 of the side seals 230 may notbe in sealing contact with the exterior surfaces 408 of the charge aircooler 120. As such, in the open second position, air entering theplenum 118 may bypass the charge air cooler 120. Specifically, air maytravel through bypass passage 604 on either side of the charge aircooler 120. Flow arrows 608 show the direction of airflow through theplenum 118. Bypass passage 604 may include the space between theexterior surface 408 of the charge air cooler 120 (e.g., outside of thecooling plates) and the interior surface 404 of the plenum 118 spanningthe height of the plenum 118. Thus, instead of flowing between thecooling plates 406 in an interior of the charge air cooler 120, chargeair entering the plenum 118 may flow around the charge air cooler 120and through the bypass passage 604 when the side seals 230 are in theirsecond open position 602. Specifically, charge air may flow between theexterior surface 408 of the charge air cooler 120, and the interiorsurfaces 404 of the lateral sides 235 and 237 of the plenum 118.

Coolant conduits 606 are shown within the cooling plates 406 of thecharge air cooler 120. As described above, the coolant conduits 606 inthe cooling plates 406 may receive coolant from the coolant inlet 122shown in FIG. 2 and flow coolant to the coolant outlet 124 shown in FIG.2. Therefore, the coolant flow in the passages may be substantiallyperpendicular to the airflow through the plenum enclosure 121. In someexamples, coolant conduits 606 in the cooling plates 406 are coupled inseries. Therefore, the general direction of coolant flow in consecutivecooling plates may oppose one another. However, other flow patterns maybe utilized. For example, an upper half of the cooling passages may flowcoolant across the plenum 118 in a first direction and a lower half ofthe cooling passage may flow coolant across the plenum in an oppositedirection.

Turning now to FIG. 7, a sixth schematic 700 is shown depicting a sideview cross-section of the plenum 118 taken along the cutting plane 530in which the rotatably adjustable side seals 230 are in a closed secondposition, as shown at 702. The side seals 230 may extend through adiameter of the actuating rods 229 such that in the closed secondposition 702, the exterior edges 508 of the side seals 230 may be insealing contact with the interior surfaces 404 of the lateral sides 235and 237 of the plenum 118. No additional components may separate theexterior edge 508 from the interior surface 404. Additionally, theinterior edges 510 of the side seals 230 may be in sealing contact withthe exterior surfaces 408 of the body 220 of the charge air cooler 120when in the second closed position 702. No additional components mayseparate the interior edge 510 from the exterior surface 408 when theside seal 230 is in its closed second position 702. Thus, when the sideseals 2A29 are in their closed second position 702, air entering theplenum 118 may be forced through the charge air cooler 120. Flow arrows608 show the flow of air through the plenum 118 and charge air cooler120. Air entering the plenum 118 may flow into the bypass passage 604,but may be stopped by the side seals 229 before flowing all the waythrough the bypass passage. Thus the side seals may prevent air fromflowing through the bypass passage 604 and may force air through thecharge air cooler 120. In one example, all air entering the plenum 118may be forced to flow between the internal cooling plates 406 of thecharge air cooler 120 when the side seals 229 are in the closed secondposition 702. Thus, all air entering the plenum 118, may be directedthrough the interior of the body 220 of the charge air cooler 120.

It is also important to note that the position of the rotatable sideseals 229 may be adjusted to any position between the open firstposition 602 and the closed second position 702. Thus, the amount of airflowing through the bypass passage 604 and the charge air cooler 120 maybe variably adjusted. As discussed above, there may be two side seals229, each physically coupled to one of the rotating actuating rods 230disposed on opposite sides of the body 220 of the charge air cooler.Thus, there may be two bypass passages 604, one on either side of thebody 220 of the charge air cooler 120 between the sides 235 and 237 ofthe plenum 118 and the body 220 of the charge air cooler 120. Eachactuating rod 230 may be physically coupled to one of the actuators 228.As such each of the side seals 230 may be independently adjusted. Thus,one of the side seals 230 may be in the open first position 602 whileanother side seal 230 may be in the closed second position 702, therebyaltering the amount of charge air bypassing around the charge air cooler120.

In this way, charge air entering a plenum of an intake assembly may bevariably directed through or around an integrated charge air coolerdepending on the position of rotatably adjustable side seals in theplenum 118. In other words, the amount of airflow through the charge aircooler may be varied depending on the position of said side seals. In afirst closed position, the side seals may be in sealing contact withexterior surfaces of the charge air cooler and interior surfaces of theplenum, forcing air to be directed between cooling plates in the chargeair cooler. In a second open positions, the side seal may not be insealing contact with the charge air cooler, and as such may allow chargeair to bypass the charge air cooler when flowing through the plenum.

FIG. 8 shows an isometric view of the assembled intake assembly 140including the plenum 118 and the throttle body 130. The throttle body130 is shown bolted to the plenum 118. The charge air cooler 120 (notshown) may be included within the plenum 118.

In this way, the intake assembly 140 may include a set of static sealscomprising the sealing rings 216, header seals 223, and channel plugs502. The sealing rings 216, header seals 223, and channel plugs 502 allensure that the interior portion 501 of the plenum enclosure 121including the body 220 of the charge air cooler is fully sealed from theoutside environment. Thus the static seals may ensure that air enteringthe plenum 118 is forced through a portion of the plenum 118 containingthe body of the charge air cooler 120. The actively adjustable sideseals 230 may be adjusted to the open first position 602 in which caseair entering the plenum may travel around the charge air cooler 120.Thus, in the open first position, condensate levels in the charge aircooler 120 may be reduced. However, the side seals 230 may also beadjusted to a closed second position 702, in which the side seals are insealing contact with the header seals 223, interior walls of the plenum118, and exterior surfaces of the body 220 of the charge air cooler 120.As such, in the closed second position 702, air entering the plenum 118may be forced through the charge air cooler 120, and as a result may thetemperature of the intake air may be reduced.

FIG. 9 shows a flow chart of a method 900 for adjusting the amount ofair flow through a charge air cooler integrated into an intake assembly.The intake assembly (e.g. intake assembly 140) may include a plenum(e.g. plenum 118) which may have a charge air cooler (e.g. charge aircooler 120) positioned within it. The plenum 118 may be in fluidiccommunication with intake runners (e.g. runner 134) of a throttle body(e.g. throttle body 130). Instructions for carrying out method 200 maybe stored in a memory of an engine controller, such as controller 150shown in FIG. 1. Further, method 900 may be executed by the controller.Additionally, method 900 may present a method for operating theintegrated charge air cooler and intake plenum shown in FIGS. 1-8, asdescribed above. For example, the controller may be in communicationwith one or more actuators (e.g., actuators 228), which may each becoupled to a rotatable actuating rod (e.g., rotatable actuating rod229). The rotatable actuating rod may be directly coupled to a dynamicfirst seal (e.g., side seal 230) and may extend along a length of theplenum. Thus, the controller may rotate the first seal between a firstposition (e.g., position 602) and a second positions (e.g., position702) via the one or more actuators. Additionally, the first seal may bein sealing contact with a static second seal (e.g., header seals 223) ateither end of the charge air cooler.

Method 900 begins at 902 and the controller (e.g., controller 150)estimates and/or measures engine operating conditions based on feedbackfrom a plurality of sensors (e.g., sensors 162). Engine operatingconditions may include: intake air temperature, exhaust gas temperature,engine speed and load, intake mass air flow, manifold pressure, ambienthumidity, etc.

The controller subsequently determines at 904 if the temperature ofintake air entering the plenum is greater than a threshold. Thethreshold temperature may be pre-set and may be based on one or more ofengine knock and/or a temperature at which condensate may form withinthe charge air cooler. In alternate embodiments, the method at 904 mayinclude assessing additional or alternative operating conditions thatmay be indicative of charge air cooler condensate. For example, themethod at 904 may include determining if condensate is forming withinthe charge air cooler or is likely to form based on engine operatingconditions, including the intake air temperature upstream or downstreamof the charge air cooler.

If the temperature of the air entering the plenum is below thethreshold, then method 900 proceeds to 906 and the controller adjusts arotatably moveable first seal (e.g. rotatably adjustable side seal 230)to an open first position. In another example, if condensate is formingor likely to form within the CAC, the method may proceed to 906 to movethe first seal into the open first position. The first position may be aposition in which the first seal is not in sealing contact with anexterior surface (e.g. exterior surface 408) of the charge air cooler.Thus, the controller may move an interior first edge (e.g. interioredges 510) away from the exterior surface of the charge air cooler andtowards an interior surface of the plenum (e.g. interior surfaces 404).While rotating the first seal to the first position, the first seal mayremain in sliding and sealing contact with the second seal (e.g. headerseals 223). Thus, there may be no additional components separating thefirst and second seals during the entire rotation of the first sealrelative to the second seal. If the first seal is already in the firstposition, then the first seal may remain in the first position.

Method 900 may proceed to 908 and flow charge air entering the plenumthrough a bypass passage around the charge air cooler (e.g., bypasspassage 604). In other words, when the first seal is in the firstposition, air entering the plenum may be directed around the charge aircooler, between the exterior surface of the charge air cooler and theinterior surface of the plenum. Thus, air entering the plenum may notflow through the charge air cooler when the first seal is in the firstposition, but may instead flow around the charge air cooler through abypass passage (e.g. bypass passage 604). In another example, a portionof the charge air may still flow through the charge air cooler, but amajority of the charge air may flow through the bypass passage and notthrough an interior of the charge air cooler. As such, air entering theplenum may not be cooled by the charge air cooler when the first seal isin the first position. The method at 908 further includes flowing airaround the charge air cooler, through the bypass passage that existsbetween the exterior surface of the charge air cooler and interior wallsof the plenum, past the first seal, and into the throttle body. Themethod may then return.

However if at 904, the controller determines that the temperature of airentering the plenum is greater than the threshold, then method 900 maycontinue on to 910 and adjust the first seal to a closed second position(e.g. second position 702). The closed second position may be a positionin which the first seal is in sealing contact with the exterior surfaceof the charge air cooler. In the closed second position, the first sealmay additionally be in sealing contact with the interior surface of theplenum. Thus, the controller may move the interior first edge of thefirst seal away from the interior surface of the plenum and towards theexterior surface of the charge air cooler. In doing so, the controllermay also move an exterior second edge (e.g. exterior edges 508) of thefirst seal towards the interior surface of the plenum. The exteriorsecond edge may be opposite the interior first edge of the first seal.While rotating the first seal to the second position, the first seal mayremain in sliding contact with the second seal (e.g. header seals 223).Thus, there may be no additional components separating the first andsecond seals during the entire rotation of the first seal relative tothe second seal. When in the second position therefore, the first sealmay be in sealing contact on all of its edges. On the interior edge, thefirst seal may be in sealing contact with the charge air cooler, theoppositely disposed second edge may be in sealing contact with theplenum, and two other edges may be in sealing contact with the secondseals. If the first seal is already in the second position, then thefirst seal may remain in the second position at 910.

Method 900 may continue from 910 to 912 and flow air entering the plenumthrough the interior of the charge air cooler. Specifically, airentering the plenum may be forced between the exterior surfaces of thecharge air cooler, such that air flows between cooling plates (e.g.cooling plates 406) of the charge air cooler. Thus, when the first sealis in the closed second position, air entering the plenum may not flowthrough the bypass passage, and may only flow through the charge aircooler. As such, air entering the plenum may be cooled by the charge aircooler. Thus, air entering the plenum may not flow past the first sealin the bypass passage, and instead may flow between the cooling platesof the charge air cooler. The method may then return.

The method 900 may also include flowing coolant through conduits (e.g.coolant conduits 606) located within the cooling plates of the chargeair cooler. Specifically, coolant may be flowed through a first coolantinlet of the plenum (e.g. apertures 224), through a second coolant inletof the charge air cooler (e.g. coolant inlet 122), and into the conduitsof the cooling plates. Further, the coolant may be flowed out of thecharge air cooler from the conduits, through a first coolant outlet ofthe charge air cooler (e.g. coolant outlet 124) and through a secondcoolant outlet (e.g. apertures 224) of the plenum. As described withreference to FIG. 2, the first coolant inlet of the plenum and thesecond coolant inlet of the charge air cooler may be in sealing contactwith one another through a first face seal (e.g. sealing rings 216) andthe first coolant outlet of the charge air cooler and the second coolantoutlet of the plenum may be in sealing contact with one another througha second face seal (e.g. sealing rings 216). In one example, coolant maycontinuously be circulated through the charge air cooler. Thus, coolantmay be flowing through the charge air cooler while method 900 isexecuted. In another example, coolant may only be circulated through thecharge air cooler when the first seal is in the closed second positionand air entering the plenum is being forced through the interior of thecharge air cooler.

It should also be understood that while method 900 describes thecontroller being in communication with one actuator capable of adjustingthe position of the first seal, in other examples, the controller may bein communication with more than one actuator. As such, there may be morethan one actuator, and each actuator may be physically coupled to oneactuating rod, and each actuating rod may be physically coupled to adynamic first seal. Thus, method 900 may additionally involve adjustingthe position of two or more first seals. Further, since each of thedynamic first seals may controlled by their own actuator, the controllermay independently adjust the position of each of the first seals.

In this way, an engine intake assembly may include a charge air coolerintegrated into a plenum of the engine intake assembly. A body of thecharge air cooler may extend along a length of the plenum, and may becapped at opposite ends by header plates. The body may be separated fromthe plenum on either side, thus forming bypass passages between exteriorsurfaces of the body of the charge air cooler, and interior surfaces ofthe sides of the plenum. The body may comprise several cooling platesspaced apart from one another such that air may flow between them.Additionally, the cooling plates may contain coolant conduits throughwhich coolant may flow to cool air flowing through the cooling plates.Coolant may flow into the charge air cooler through a first coolantinlet disposed in the plenum, and through a second coolant inletdisposed on a flange of one of the header plates. After flowing throughthe conduits, coolant may flow out of the charge air cooler through afirst coolant outlet disposed on the flange of one of the header plates.The coolant may then flow through a second coolant outlet disposed inthe plenum. Sealing rings may be disposed between the first and secondcoolant inlets and between the first and second coolants outlets and maybe in sealing contact therewith. A method may also be included forflowing coolant into and out of the charge air cooler through thecoolant inlets, outlets, and conduits in the cooling plates.

A set of adjustably rotatable first seals may extend along the length ofthe body of the charge air cooler, on either side of the charge aircooler, and may be positioned in the bypass passages of the plenum. Therotatable first seals may be coupled to actuating rods which may each bephysically coupled to actuators capable of rotating the actuating rods.Thus, the first seals may be adjusted between an open first position inwhich the first seals are not in sealing contact with the exteriorsurface of the body of the charge air cooler and a closed secondposition in which the first seals are in sealing contact with theexterior surface of the body of the charge air cooler. In the secondclosed position, the first seals may also be in sealing contact with theinterior surface of the sides of the plenum. A set of second staticseals may be positioned around the circumference of each of the headerplates. The set of first seals may fully extend between interior facesof the set of second static seals, and may be in sealing contacttherewith. As such, each of the first seals may be in sealing contactwith both of the second static seals, and may remain in sealing contacttherewith during any adjustment between the first and second positions.Therefore, in the closed second position, the first seals may be insealing contact with the interior surfaces of the plenum, exteriorsurfaces of the body of the charge air cooler, interior faces of the setof second seals along their entire circumference.

When the first seals are in the first position, air entering the plenummay flow around the charge air cooler, through the bypass passagepositioned between the exterior surfaces of the body of the charge aircooler and the interior surfaces of the sides of the plenum. In thesecond position, the first seals may reduce the amount of air flowingthrough the bypass passage. In some examples, when in the secondposition, first seals may completely prohibit the flow of air throughthe bypass passage. As such, the amount of air flowing between thecooling plates of the charge air cooler may be increased when the firstseals are adjusted to their second position from the first position. Insome examples, when the first seals are in their second position, all ofthe air entering the plenum may be forced through the interior of thecharge air cooler. A method may also be included for adjusting the firstseals between the first and second positions based on the temperature ofthe air entering the plenum. If the intake air is below a threshold,then the first seals may be moved to their first position, so that airbypasses the charge air cooler. However, if the intake air is above athreshold, then the first seals may be moved to their second position sothat air is forced through the charge air cooler.

In this way, a technical effect of reducing condensate in the charge aircooler integrated within an intake assembly is achieved by adjusting theside seal such that the air flow through the charge air cooler may bevaried depending on the intake air temperature. Additionally, adjustingthe side seals may help to maintain an optimal charge air temperaturefor air entering engine cylinders. Without the adjustable first seals,air entering the plenum may be forced through the integrated charge aircooler. As a result, air may be cooled by the charge air cooler to atemperature where condensate may begin to form in the charge air cooler.Condensate in the charge air cooler may enter the engine and result inengine misfire and/or degradation. However, if the temperature of theintake air entering the plenum is below a threshold which may causecondensate, the adjustable first seals may be moved to a position thatallows intake air to bypass the charge air cooler. Thus, the packagingsize of the intake assembly may be reduced by integrating the charge aircooler within the plenum of the intake assembly. Additionally, byincluding adjustable seals that may regulate the flow of air through thecharge air cooler, the temperature of the intake air may be maintainedat a suitable level for the engine which may minimize enginedegradation. In other words, intake air temperatures at levels harmfulto the engine, may be avoided using the adjustable side seals.

Thus a system of static seals ensures the efficiency of a charge aircooler integrated into the intake assembly. In other words, a series ofseals ensures that air entering the intake assembly is forced throughthe charge air cooler. Additionally, adjustable side seals may allow forair to bypass the charge air cooler within the intake assembly if intakeair temperatures are low enough to cause condensate formation in thecharge air cooler, eliminating the need for an external bypass passage.Thus, the adjustable side seals allow for a charge air cooler to beintegrated within the intake assembly and reduce the packaging size ofthe intake assembly, while still reducing condensate buildup in thecharge air cooler. As a result, a smaller, more compact intake assemblyis achieved with little or no sacrifice to the efficiency and longevityof the engine.

Note that the example control and estimation routines included hereincan be used with various engine and/or vehicle system configurations.The control methods and routines disclosed herein may be stored asexecutable instructions in non-transitory memory and may be carried outby the control system including the controller in combination with thevarious sensors, actuators, and other engine hardware. The specificroutines described herein may represent one or more of any number ofprocessing strategies such as event-driven, interrupt-driven,multi-tasking, multi-threading, and the like. As such, various actions,operations, and/or functions illustrated may be performed in thesequence illustrated, in parallel, or in some cases omitted. Likewise,the order of processing is not necessarily required to achieve thefeatures and advantages of the example embodiments described herein, butis provided for ease of illustration and description. One or more of theillustrated actions, operations and/or functions may be repeatedlyperformed depending on the particular strategy being used. Further, thedescribed actions, operations and/or functions may graphically representcode to be programmed into non-transitory memory of the computerreadable storage medium in the engine control system, where thedescribed actions are carried out by executing the instructions in asystem including the various engine hardware components in combinationwith the electronic controller.

It will be appreciated that the configurations and routines disclosedherein are exemplary in nature, and that these specific embodiments arenot to be considered in a limiting sense, because numerous variationsare possible. For example, the above technology can be applied to V-6,I-4, I-6, V-12, opposed 4, and other engine types. The subject matter ofthe present disclosure includes all novel and non-obvious combinationsand sub-combinations of the various systems and configurations, andother features, functions, and/or properties disclosed herein.

The following claims particularly point out certain combinations andsub-combinations regarded as novel and non-obvious. These claims mayrefer to “an” element or “a first” element or the equivalent thereof.Such claims should be understood to include incorporation of one or moresuch elements, neither requiring nor excluding two or more suchelements. Other combinations and sub-combinations of the disclosedfeatures, functions, elements, and/or properties may be claimed throughamendment of the present claims or through presentation of new claims inthis or a related application. Such claims, whether broader, narrower,equal, or different in scope to the original claims, also are regardedas included within the subject matter of the present disclosure.

1. An engine intake assembly comprising: a plenum having an integratedcharge air cooler (CAC); a first header seal positioned around acircumference of a first CAC header; and a first rotatably movable sealpositioned in a bypass passage defined between sides of a CAC body andthe plenum and interfacing via sliding contact with the first headerseal, the first movable seal varying airflow through the bypass passage.2. The intake assembly of claim 1, wherein the first movable seal isadjustable between a first position where charge air flowing through theplenum flows through the bypass passage and at least partially bypassesthe CAC and a second position where charge air flowing through theplenum flows through the CAC and not the bypass passage.
 3. The intakeassembly of claim 2, wherein in both the first position and secondposition, the first movable seal remains in sealing contact with thefirst header seal and a second header seal positioned around acircumference of a second CAC header, the second CAC header at anopposite end of the CAC from the first CAC header.
 4. The intakeassembly of claim 3, wherein the first movable seal is directly coupledto a rotatable rod, the rotatable rod coupled to an actuator incommunication with a controller, the rotatable rod extending along alength of the plenum from past the first header seal to past the secondheader seal and the first movable seal extending along the rotatable rodfrom the first header seal to the second header seal.
 5. The intakeassembly of claim 2, wherein a first end of the first movable seal is insealing contact with an interior wall of the plenum when the firstmovable seal is in the second position and wherein in both the firstposition and second position, the first movable seal remains in contactwith the interior wall of the plenum.
 6. The intake assembly of claim 2,wherein in the first position the first movable seal is moved away fromand not in sealing contact with an exterior wall of the CAC body and inthe second position the first movable seal is in sealing contact withthe exterior wall of the CAC body.
 7. The intake assembly of claim 1,wherein the plenum is coupled between a compressor and an engine andfurther comprising a throttle body coupled to the plenum, the throttlebody including a plurality of intake runners, each intake runner influidic communication with a cylinder of the engine.
 8. The intakeassembly of claim 7, wherein a circumference of the first header seal isin sealing contact with interior walls of the plenum and the throttlebody such that air flowing from the plenum to the throttle body flowsbetween the first header seal a second header seal positioned around acircumference of a second CAC header.
 9. The intake assembly of claim 1,wherein each of the second set of seals are independently adjustablebetween the first and second positions.
 10. The intake assembly of claim1, wherein the charge air cooler includes a coolant inlet and a coolantoutlet in fluidic communication with a coolant passage and coolingplates extending into a plenum enclosure and coupled to the coolantpassage, further comprising a third set of seals positioned betweenfaces of the coolant inlet and coolant outlet and mating faces of theplenum, and wherein the cooling plates include coolant conduits forflowing coolant therethrough.
 11. The intake assembly of claim 1,further comprising channel seals positioned between interior walls ofthe plenum and the first header seal, the channel plugs in sealingcontact therewith, and interfacing with a first end of first movableseal when a second end of the first movable seal is in sealing contactwith an exterior wall of the CAC body. 12-18. (canceled)
 19. An intakeassembly in an engine, comprising: a compressor; a plenum positioneddownstream from the compressor, the plenum having an integrated chargeair cooler (CAC); a throttle body coupled to a downstream end of theplenum and including a plurality of intake runners coupled to cylindersof the engine; a first set of seals positioned around a circumference ofheader ends of the CAC; and a second set of seals positioned betweenexterior sides of a body of the CAC and the plenum and interfacing viasliding contact with the first set of seals, the second set of sealsextending between a first header end of the CAC and a second header endof the CAC, where the second set of seals are adjustable between a firstposition where charge air flowing through the plenum bypasses the CACand a second position where charge air flowing through the plenum flowsthrough the CAC.
 20. The intake assembly of claim 19, further comprisinga controller with computer readable instructions for actively adjustinga position of the second set of seals based on a charge air temperature,wherein the adjusting includes actuating a first actuator to rotate afirst rotatable rod and actuating a second actuator to rotate a secondrotatable rod, the first and second rotatable rods extending across theplenum from past the first header end of the CAC to past the secondheader end of the CAC on opposite sides of the CAC, where a first sealof the first set of seals is coupled to the first rotatable rod and asecond seal of the second set of seal is coupled to the second rotatablerod.